Fate's Final Curve
by Ghostly-Sniper
Summary: Few months after Advent Children. Cloud and Tifa trying to move on with the obvious. Oneshot. CloTi.


My second fanfic, I decided to finish the job and do one based on AC. This is not a sequel. And Cloud gets it a bit rough for being a dumb goat... I would also like to thank those who left reviews for my other story.

Few months have passed since the defeat of Kadaj. All those infected with Geostigma were finally found, one by one on occasion. Healing waters taking away the deadly curse at last. The flow of things began to regain momentum, life's events picking up slowly, ...for some. And yet for others, like Tifa Lockhart, the past lingered, entangling into endless cycles, doomed to repeat themselves. Sometimes she though, there was no exit to be found.

Tifa stood outside Seventh Heaven enjoying the starry night, breathing the fresh midnight air. Cold, but strangely refreshing. Light breeze stroking her hair, easing her anxious heart. She let herself be taken, arms spread wide and her face raised to the stars, eyes closed. It was exhilarating and peaceful all at once. Like carefree nights of distant past, Tifa revelled, happy for this brief instant. Amazed at how such a simple thing could raise your spirit. If only someone could share this moment with her.

She sighted as one though led to another, _"Back to the real world..." _

Cloud had returned to live with them yet again and things went back to 'normal'. That is to say they were not moving anywhere. At least his inner demons seemed to have departed for a while.

"_Maybe they are just on vacation,"_ Tifa mused to herself.

All their common friends and even the bar's regular clients knew about the troubled couple, knew for a fact about their mutual feelings of some sort. It was Cid or perhaps Yuffie who started the rumours, Tifa though. Probably latter, the older man having more sense. She didn't blame them, there was no secret really. Perhaps the most amusing of all however, they both knew about the other, or at least felt it on some level. Their relationship riddled with beyond friendly glances and double meaning words. Although, Tifa began to doubt ever since Cloud left without a word.

"_But he is here now... so close yet so seemingly unreachable..."_

How could this be happening, why could they not break from their circular path. It was frustrating, slowly a though began to creep itself into her mind. That maybe it is just never going to work, maybe he'll never change. And perhaps she needs to deal with that now.

"_Why do you have to be such a coward,"_ yet she loved him and his every flaw. _"And what about me? Why do I falter every time?" _Tifa had her issues plenty, Cloud had to take some steps forward too if things were to progress in some kind of defined direction.

She still stood outside and it was getting perhaps a little too chilly. It was Cloud she tried to escape by coming here. This last conversation they had, some things were said... and done... which were now regretted. She was hurt, Cloud perhaps never realized how much this was finally wearing her down. So many years...

It was a long conversation they had, Cloud apologizing again for his every wrongdoing, perceived and real. Even though he's done so countless times before. How did it end up this way... She recollected.

"_Something you want to tell me Cloud?"_ she said surprised by the anger in her voice, challenging him to express some kind of emotion, to establish certainty between them. A _'yes'_ or a heartbreaking _'no', _some hint, in any event something solid to move from. Even though she never had the courage to ask him directly, the young woman thought things were obvious enough. It was the wrong way to go, but the train had already departed.

"_...I'm... sorry... for everything..."_ he said for possibly the tenth time. His constant self-doubts were holding him back again. _"I don't know what you want me to say,"_ a subtle hint of pain in his voice, Tifa learned to read him well enough.

"_Cloud! You are no longer a hapless youth and I am no ignorant girl... I am here... I... don't act as if I don't exist,"_ she almost screamed. It was the first time she ever spoke with him so. _"...stop acting like a child... and be a... a man,"_ she added more quietly, but her voice ringing with ice.

It was cruel, so very cruel... She could see the flush of pain, as he staggered back. Her heart wanted to take it back, all of it. But this time her frustrated mind was winning.

"_...Tifa..."_ he pronounced it barely audible.

"_Wake up! Cloud! Wake up!" _her voice was almost cracking with agony. All the months, perhaps years of bottled up emotions coming out.

She strode up to him, then slapped him across the face, _"Please, if there is something inside you..."_

Now Tifa watched in horror as Cloud slumped down against the wall, his head in his hands. She felt her heart going cold. The knot in her chest tightened, heavier with another thread added to countless others. However, this speeding train was not easy to stop...

"_I want you to remember this moment... Cloud Strife,"_ she whispered, although Cloud probably wasn't listening anymore. _"I want you to look back on this ...and when you do... ask yourself, which one of us was more hurt today,"_ she said somewhat more softly, anger waning.

"_And which one would that be?"_ the same question echoed through her mind.

Finally she ran out of steam. _"What have I done?"_ she thought, _"to him... to us"_, regret and guilt began to overtake, squeezing out frustration and anger. Tifa knelt beside him, touching his arm with something like fear that he would just snap and leave her forever. This time never to return. And what that would do to him... and to her. _"Cloud... I did not mean it to be like this... You mean a lot to me. I am just... tired," _she spoke gently not looking at him.

"_No, you are right. Always right and I am always weak..."_ he said, his calm demeanour regained but emotions seeping through with his last words. Cloud stood up and walked slowly toward his room, pausing he turned around, eyes cast downward. _"Good night..." _with that he left.

Tifa sighted getting to her feet and heading toward the street, where she was now.

"Cloud... You are not weak, you just need to let other people in your life, people that love you..." she spoke to herself, then sighted again.

"_I am here... I..." _so close, but no closer than before and never so painful. Yet another time she wavered.

Tomorrow Tifa would smile and act as nothing ever happened. It was a working day and she should have been sleeping by now, of course her turmoil made that impossible. And what about the kids, _"Oh, no.." _they were long in their beds, but Tifa wasn't exactly quiet. They did not deserve to deal with this. She would have to smooth things somehow ...and with Cloud as well.

It was a relatively busy day, although the inflow of customers was not as it used to be. It was winter after all, people preferred to stay at home mostly, besides, the weather it would appear was emulating Tifa's mood. Clouds were hanging low, you could not tell the time of day, the air was foggy and cold. The days work had managed to distract her, yet it wasn't helping with the mood. Strangely enough she slept the whole night, her exhaustion taking priority over other concerns. So it was not lack of sleep she was suffering. Thankfully Barett took the kids to the park today, as much as she loved Denzel and Marlene, Tifa did not wish them to see her in this mood.

Cloud sat on a bar stool, silent as a rock. He'd spent most of the day like this, departing only a few times, for some kind of delivery it would seem. Tifa noted him watching her out of the corner of his eye a couple of times. They dared not talk.

"_What are we going to do?"_ she sighted inwardly.

The bar was going to be closed in a couple of hours, another regular day was passing. They were doing well financially, even on days like this. There was enough demand in the ruined city and people loved Tifa's drinks and cooking.

She looked over the remaining customers. There was a man staring at her the whole time. She was used to it, every bartender was used to attention albeit different kinds. When times were hard she even allowed herself to return a few suggestive smiles. For a moment she played with the idea of flirting back to see if she could get some kind of reaction from Cloud. As a form of confirmation that at least he still cared. Tifa knew these types of people well, she met a lot through her line of work and even though her personality was a lot closer to Cloud's in this regard, she always knew which strings to pull with simple men. Of course she could never do this particular cruelty, petty as it might be, Tifa knew how much it would hurt him, _"...or would it?"_ And after yesterday she doubted that her own already tortured heart could bare such a thing again.

She approached the man, his bill ready to be paid. "Why don't you have a sit little lady," he offered as she handed him back his receipt.

"I am sorry, I have a lot of work to finish," Tifa replied with a detached voice, the man hasn't said anything outrageous. Women were approached like this all the time, granted this was an amusingly poor cliché.

"You've had a rough night or something... We could fix that pretty quick you know, how about it?" he stared at her form blatantly.

Now this was really pushing it. Tifa narrowed her eyes, she was still going to tell him to leave nicely. She never saw Cloud approaching like an animated statue.

"Shut up," he said simply.

"Hey, what's your problem. Get lost befo-," something in Cloud's expression promised oceans of pain and the man hesitated, "Uh.. Look buddy, relax.. I'm going, I ain't taking your girl or anything..."

"We are not buddies," Cloud said coldly again. The man was now quickly departing.

"_Cloud..."_

Tifa didn't say anything, although she was pleased he'd stood up for her. Even if it was rougher than she'd like. Still she hesitated to talk to him. Cloud tensed after a silent moment, when she hasn't shown any reaction. And Tifa could see the beginnings of doubt in him, she knew what he thought, that perhaps he'd failed her somehow, acted out of place. Cloud was always insecure when it came to Tifa, ever since childhood, _"But do you ...feel... as you once have?"_

In a perverse way it pleased her, to see she still had that effect on him, however she had to stop it right now. Tifa grabbed him by the arm and headed towards the kitchen.

"You know... You have to stop doing this to yourself," she told him softly.

"I thought you didn't want me to..." he started answering, coolly as usual. Even so Tifa could see through it.

"...But I did, more than you know," they gazed at each other intently. "I..." she paused, "There are people around who love and appreciate you." This was a blatant hint, one of countless many.

And as if to prove her point she leaned forward planting a kiss on his cheek, it ended up rougher than she intended.

"_I don't know how to make this any more obvious..."_

"Tifa, I just..." he began to form a sentence slowly, too slowly.

She didn't want to go through the old routine again. Tifa wished to confess more than anything, but before it started she knew it wasn't going anywhere. They were not ready. She often blamed herself lately for not being able to just blurt it out, and Cloud for not helping much.

Tifa cut him mid sentence, "...Please, Cloud... not now... But... think about this... Think about the path we are on and where it leads," her voice sounded defeated. _"It leads in circles... Cloud. And this little spiral of ours is not headed upwards."_

She just left him there and strode off back to work, feeling guilty again, not a word she let him speak. Why did she start to lash out at him so all of a sudden, was the end of this little struggle approaching? She refused the though. Her heart softened, they had to move on from this somehow.

As she was closing the bar later this same evening, Cloud approached her quietly.

"Tifa... No, please, let me says something first," he spoke quickly, seemingly afraid she'd interrupt him. Not his usual style.

"_Oh, Cloud... anything," _it was time for apologies, so she just nodded giving him a reassuring smile. She would listen to what he wanted to say.

"You closed early... and I though, maybe we could do something," he spoke slowly, measuring every word. "I wanted to show you something... I think you'll like it," a tiny grin escaped his otherwise reserved expression. "...It's a surprise," he added.

Tifa smiled her heart pumping hard, happy they were talking normally again and it seemed finally Cloud might be moving on to something. "I would like that... But remember we have to pick up the kids from Barett, they are in the park with him" she wanted this to work, but there were some obligations.

"...Well... I asked Barett to take care of it. He will stay over with the kids... I think they will be pleased," Cloud spoke hopefully.

"You planned this then?" she teased him quietly, smiling. Clouds eyes glowed softly in the dark. How she always loved those eyes. She gave him a nod. "But before we go, Cloud... I wanted to say I am sorry..." she did not have to specify what for.

It was a strange thing, apologizing after she caused him pain. She could understand him better now that guilt gnawed at her so. She gained some perspective on his feelings. _"Maybe something good came out of it after all." _

"You don't have to, I know myself... even though sometimes I think you know me better," he lowered his head. "...but you said some things and I was afrai-," he stopped himself, "I just want to have this evening for the two of us."

"Yes... Let us do that..." Tifa replied somewhat awestruck. It seemed that perhaps her blows struck in the right place.

The night was cold, so they dressed accordingly. Tifa put her combat gloves into one of the many pockets of her dark green pants, then reconsidered and took them out. Another pair of ordinary gloves she put on. A quick glance around to see if she forgot anything. The young brunette chuckled as she stacked an extra thick scarf into her warm jacket. Cloud would need it, since it was unlikely he'd take one with him.

As they approached Cloud's bike, it was quiet outside, ...peaceful. Tifa had a good feeling about this. They straddled the bike.

"You didn't bring your sword, you always do," she said when realizing it was not on his bike either...

"I though we'd seen enough of it," the bike started to ramble softly.

"Yes," she agreed.

They drove through the empty streets. After a while it began to snow. A little at first and at a certain moment huge flakes of it were falling all around them. The street was being covered quickly with a white carpet. You could now barely see the buildings on both sides. They had to slow down, trying to wade through it without loosing direction. Long moments passed, the young woman glanced back, but it now looked the same on every side.

Walls of snow surrounded them, thick and silent. It was everywhere, in their hair, on the ground and in the sky, whole oceans of it. Falling slowly and quietly, blurring their surroundings, entrancing them with its calm descent. They stared into the depth of it, it seemed limitless. Tifa loved instances like this, when normal existence appeared almost surreal in nature, leaving you to guess reality from abstraction for just a second in bewildered confusion.

A strange sensation it was, like a passage into another realm... beautiful and powerful and eternal... like dreams. So simple and so peaceful. The two of them alone, in a children's fairytale come to life... such a simple illusion it was... and yet no less real for it. Tifa revelled in it, her spirit soaring and this time someone was there to share it with. Cloud felt it too, she could see it in his face as he turned from side to side looking out with something like wonder. Their movement came to a halt. Tifa lifted herself standing up, arms wrapping around Cloud's neck embracing him from behind. Her head resting against his, their cheeks meeting, passing the warmth between them. They just stayed like this, savouring the beautiful moment for a long while, together.

"We could go back if you want... It might take a while, I never expected this," he said finally.

Tifa did not answer right away. "Do _you_ want to go back... Cloud?" she whispered gently still holding him.

"No..."

"I love it here, I love this idea... Oh, before I forget..." her hands wrapped the warm scarf she brought around Cloud's neck, then brushed through his hair gently, removing the snow.

"Thank you... for taking care of me," he spoke slowly pronouncing every word, obviously not meaning his gratitude for only the present.

"You are welcome..." came a simple reply. Tifa leaned against his back, gripping his waste tightly. They moved on...

As Cloud said the road was not easy, they stopped several times to find their way. But at last they stood on the edge of an open square, only dim lamp light could be seen through the thick of the snow and some kind of structure in the centrer of it. Tifa smiled her curiosity peaking, then Cloud led her forward by the arm. And finally...

A gasp escaped her lips, "It's... But... in this place, how?" she said with surprised confusion then smiled with amazement.

In the middle was a tower, a well, almost identical to the one in Nibelheim. Their well... where they met for the final time on that fateful day. Tifa laughed in bewilderment, this _was_ a fairytale.

"I just found it one day... someone must have built it, after Midgar was ruined," Cloud spoke from behind her. "I know it's just a well... but..." he trailed off.

"_Oh, Cloud..."_ they approached closer, a sense of nostalgia was coming over Tifa. She turned to glance at Cloud noticing his dreamy and yet anxious expression. This place, or rather what it represented meant a lot to him, Tifa knew this well. But not only to him.

"This is not just a well..." she spoke softly, "It's one of the best memories I have." Cloud's gaze snapped quickly to her eyes at that, soft and alluring, probing something within her. They stared at each other intently, he seemed very nervous somehow. More than before, almost like...

"Do you want to go up?" he said and she could see he wanted this very much. The air around her was suddenly sucked away, leaving her breathless with anticipation. Something was building up.

"Y-yeah, of course... Cloud," she stuttered.

They started climbing, Tifa going first. This place... memories echoed here.

"_You came," the boy was clearly surprised._

"_Of course I did, you asked so nicely." the girl smiled making her way up quickly. _

The pair walked slowly across the wooden planks, they creaked softly. There was a feeling of isolation. Just this well and nothing seemed to be beyond, only the endless snow.

"Thank you... for this," Tifa finally broke the silence.

"Sure..." Cloud was watching her from a couple of meters away.

She approached closer, taking his hand pulling him into an embrace... They remained like this, listening to the peaceful whisper of the snowfall. A subtle sound on the edge of perception, one you can only hear in quiet moments like this... Mother nature's elegant beauty prolonging their subtle intimacy.

"Tifa... don't move," she heard him say finally.

"What is it?" the girl fixed her gaze on him, with question.

"Do you not remember... this?" Cloud whispered.

After a moment the dark haired girl gasped lightly. "It can't be..." she said dreamily, of course she remembered...

"_So you are leaving tomorrow?"_

"_Yeah... I guess so," the boy said hesitantly. After a silent moment he turned to walk away._

_The young girl grabbed him by the hand pulling him closer into a tight embrace. "Good luck... Cloud," she said, then released taking a few steps away, not daring to look back. Maybe if he would..._

Tifa's eyes were filled with wonder. "It was our last moment..." she remembered them standing in almost the exact same way. "I remember wanting to stop you, but... I couldn't."

"That one time... when I got to hold you and you wished me luck... it meat so much to me then" as he spoke, Tifa smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry, I should have said more... I wished you would..." she was searching for the right words. _"I should have stopped you... I walked away wishing you would come for me... tell me you would stay." _

Cloud interrupted. "After yesterday I was afraid..." he didn't elaborate.

"Cloud..." Tifa took off her gloves touching his cheek with one hand, heart racing. He pulled her closer. So much affection between them, yet never more, the thought poked at Tifa.

"It should have been different."

Tifa smiled, so many times the young woman went through this in her head wishing ever since... that things took another route that day and many days since then.

"_Good luck... Cloud."_

"I want you to stay... Cloud," she pronounced, what was left unspoken so many years ago, "That's what I wanted to say."

Their gazes explored each others features softly, lost in memories. Tifa let her imagination swim, painting pictures of what could have been. It made her smile inwardly a couple of times as well as feel a pang of sorrow. Something heavy was rising in her throat, disrupting her breath, heating up the air escaping her nose and mouth with unpleasant sensation. She lowered her head with a few deep breaths, gathering up anxiously for another try at expressing her true feelings. So much talk about self-doubt... his... and here she was again.

"Let us not have more things to regret..." she whispered shyly searching in his eyes.

The boy stared back at her, something building up in his expressions and movement. That is what he seemed to her now, a boy with a timid gaze and a pleasant calming voice she remembered from way back. His brief glances, as he passed by their group of friends... Their secret, delicate moments... strange feelings of tenderness. Emotions she only later recognized for what they were.

His face started forward nervously then paused... as if asking permission for something. Tifa tilted her head with slight invitation instinctively, everything froze around her,_"what if that's not what he wants..."_ But his hesitant movements incited her to go on. The girl mastered what courage was left, she leaned forward slightly, making things a little more obvious. _"Be what may..."_

"If.. I ah.. If you want to kiss me... this moment is perfect" she offered, surprised by her steady gentle voice as she said the last words, in tact with what she perceived was his silent query. Every nerve was ringing from what she just did, but there was no going back. Conflicting emotions hit her, anxiety and fear mixed with ease at having finally said what her heart wished for so long. However a part of her wanted to disappear.

You could almost hear Cloud's heart skip a beat. Tifa felt suddenly elated, her heart stirred in triumph before her mind ever comprehended. He leaned closer, there was slight contact, almost too shy to be real. Tifa kissed him back softly caressing his lips with tender strokes, emotions floating randomly in mild euphoria. As the moment passed, she felt at ease, comfortable in his arms more than ever before.

Cloud brushed her hair rapidly, with a distant look as if trying to get most while it lasts. She smiled warmly, leaning into his hand slightly, indulging his desire to touch her. He slowed down as if realizing she was still there.

"Sorry..." a tiny grin escaped him, it warmed her heart.

Tifa only smiled in gentle amusement, "I like it."

"I always loved you... you know..."

"Sometimes I doubted... but, yes, I think I always knew... How about you?" Tifa asked, playing with his scarf. "My love," she added grinning.

"You know me... But whenever I looked at you, I think deep inside... I could feel it..." Cloud's finger traced her cheek.

"I do know you... So know this, I loved you since we were children," she saw in the deep shining eyes of his, how much he always craved to hear those words, she could see they gave him long sought comfort. It flooded her with compassion and perhaps a few drops of sadness.

"_I always wished your heart finds solace..."_

The snow was enveloping them now, as the pair just stood there, but what did it matter...

The night was well past midpoint as they finally made it back. Slowly they creeped past Barett who fell asleep on the couch. The pair followed upstairs, Tifa pausing briefly to check on Denzel and Marlene, then onwards to her room.

Quickly they found themselves in nothing but their underwear. Cloud looked her up and down. Tifa's cheeks reddened as she saw his jaw drop slightly. Her finger's brushed his face then his shoulder and arm, the years made Cloud strong. She noted somewhat sadly, remembering why it all started. He wanted to impress her... It was so unexpected when he told her in the lifestream.

_"You didn't need that... I liked you for who you are..."_

Tifa found herself picked up in the air, the pair made their way towards the bed. She felt her blood racing as Cloud placed her down softly, in stark contrast to his usually rough appearance and manner, but she knew different. He bent down and Tifa felt him kissing her inner thigh, the flaming sensation making her moan, trying to be quiet. The trace following up her stomach. Cloud paused looking up at her, Tifa nodded. She felt her left bra sliding off... a gasp escaped her lips... she allowed him for some time...

Tifa's hands locked beneath his arm and in one swift motion of hips and shoulders their position was reversed. She smiled at him teasingly, face glowing red. Cloud's gaze fixed on hers, their eyes expressing tender feelings, one more time...

"How did you do that?" Cloud smirked.

"I have my secrets," the young woman raised an eyebrow mockingly.

"Tifa..."

"We are okay now?" she asked softly.

"Yeah," they both nodded content.

Tifa rolled over guiding Cloud on top again, mesmorized by the way he gazed at her. Still unbelieving it finally happened. Her hands caressed his hair and face...

"Now where were we..." she whispered gently pulling him closer into a passionate kiss, finally feeling happy...

The End


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